Beijing urges NATO to stop hyping 'China threat'

China rejected on Thursday security concerns raised about the country at the recent NATO summit, urging the alliance to stop "hyping the China threat" and abandon its Cold War mentality.

Responding to a question at a regular news briefing about concerns expressed at the summit over China's technology, military activities and ties with Russia, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should not "always bring up China".

"NATO is a regional and defensive alliance with a clearly defined mandate and geographical scope," she said.

Mao said China has always been "a force for peace" in the world, has never threatened any country, and does not pose a challenge to the security of the Euro-Atlantic region.

She urged NATO to abandon its Cold War mentality, adopt a correct perception of China, and stop hyping the "China threat".